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The problems of incorporating electric buses in the city
The urban planning of cities is changing in the direction of respecting more the environment (It is no longer about will, it is necessity). However, if you stop for a moment to observe public transport, you will actually see that there are very few electric buses Where is the sustainable transport?.
For example, if we look at the capital of Spain, Madrid. It currently has a fleet of about 2,221 public buses (Including Mobility Assistance and Auxiliary Fleet) and according to the EMT (Municipal Transport Company) website, only last year they had 1.76% fully electric buses.
Well, and by 2022, the EMT expects to have a fleet of almost 100 totally electric units. Come on! … It will not reach 5% of the fleet. And we are talking about the capital of Spain. Imagine in other smaller cities!
If we think about it a bit, transportation is responsible for roughly a quarter of global emissions. Although public buses are only a small part of the world's fleet of vehicles, the main problem is that they operate where people are concentrated, so we swallow their effects more.
The problem with public buses is that they operate where people are concentrated, so we swallow their effects more
The electric bus in numbers
If we look a little at the numbers for Europe and compare, we have the following graph that we already discussed in the article on China and Public Transport. Recall, every five weeks, Chinese cities add more than 9,000 zero-emission public electric buses.
As we can see in the graph, other European countries are not very buoyant in using 100% electric public transport.
And if we count globally, today, approximately 17 percent of the world's buses are electric, about 425,000 buses, where almost 99% of the world's electric buses are in China (There is a law that requires use electric buses, and we already know how China legislates)
Yes, a report was recently published from the World Resources Institute that deals with how to manage and enable the adoption of electric buses in cities around the world from HERE. We can know, know and what steps to follow on how we should start to implement an electric bus structure.
And if in addition, the electric buses (Also called e-buses) are better for the environment and our health, if they emit less noise and vibrations, and also have lower operating costs (aerodynamic electric motors, they are easier to maintain) … Why don't we have more electric buses in our city? And why aren't they everywhere?
What problems are there when managing an electric bus network
Sometimes things are not so simple. And we wanted to review some questions that go beyond the simple action of buying an electric bus:
1.- They don't always go well in the city
All cities are not flat from a topographical perspective, and it has already been shown that when we have a hill or hills, the electric bus has serious problems in climbing when they have full loads of passengers.
2.- It is not so easy to build electric buses
Not all automotive companies build electric buses. Here, two main problems appear; the supply of new buses is lengthening and the price is higher as there are fewer competitors in the market.
3.- The need to recharge
Approximately and, depending on the climatic conditions, topography and routes, on average, they have to be recharged once a day. In some places, this is a problem.
4.- It's not just buying an electric bus
We can buy many buses, but you have to have a prepared network and charging points (A standard charging station costs between € 45,000 and € 50,000)
5.- The problem of two infrastructures
Incorporating an electric bus network in a city also means "doubling" the internal infrastructure managed by public transport agencies (Two types of fuel, increasing electrical installations and their recharging points, specialized mechanics, signaling, etc.)
6.- Adapt the urbanism of the city
Someone once said that "silent vehicle, problems!". Part of the signage has to be adapted, spaces are needed for recharging points, assessing new costs, etc …
What are the advantages of an electric bus network?
We have seen the possible problems, now we have to see the advantages of having an electric network of electric buses in the cities.
1.- The cost of the unit trip is cheaper
The energy losses of the electric motor are significantly lower than the energy losses of the diesel engine, so the cost per kilometer of travel is about a third of the cost of a trip on a diesel bus.
2.- Less noise
The electric bus is much quieter than a diesel bus, giving travelers a more pleasant experience and significantly reducing ambient noise and vibrations. They will have to make noise, but they will be able to do it in their proper measure.
Although in a first phase this community law (New regulations established by the European Union (EU) will only affect vehicles with new approval, both passenger cars and commercial vehicles), the regulations stipulate that as of July 1, 2022 it will be mandatory for all electric and hybrid vehicles marketed in Europe.
3.- Cheapest fuel cost
The fuel cost of the electric bus (electricity) is much cheaper in the long run than diesel (you have to take into account the fluctuations of the oil-dependent market).
In addition, several cases have already appeared where natural disasters of significant magnitude have occurred where they have had difficulties in the supply of fossil fuels (problems in refinery supplies), but, nevertheless, the electricity supply has been restored much more quickly.
4.- They generate more energy
Electric buses combine a regenerative braking system that generates electricity during the braking process.
5.- Less pollution in the city
The health hazards of diesel buses (the technology currently used for the vast majority of buses) are well known to healthcare professionals. Furthermore, buses tend to be used in urban environments where there are concentrations of people and the air quality is already degraded by other pollutants.
Diesel, which is a known carcinogen, can also cause respiratory diseases such as asthma. Those who use public transport most frequently, including children, the elderly and those who do not have access to a car, are at particular risk.
6.- We contribute health to the environment
Transportation is responsible for about a quarter of global emissions, and those emissions are growing faster than in any other sector. While buses are only a small portion of the world's vehicle fleet, they have a huge effect on the environment.
It is clear that we have many obstacles to implement an electric public transport system and that we must be aware of this, but, today, and seeing that cities are increasingly polluted.
Here, it is no longer an option, but rather, an obligation and that from politics and administrations, they must put a strong will if we do not want to face really serious problems for the health of citizens.
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